Road-surface maintainer



Aug. 26, 1924.

E. BERN ET AL ROAD SURFACE MAINTAINER File'd June 15. mm 2 Sheets$heet 1 jzzvwvwrfi v {4, m v I @fly hYW Mtmmevs E. BERN ET AL.

ROAD -SURFACE MAINTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v i 1ed June 15. 1921 I IVY/677mm Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL BERN AND WALTER G. WERI'S, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

ROAD SURFACE MAINTAINER.

Application filed June 15, 1921.

To all w/lom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMIL BERN and lVaLTER G. lVnnTs, citizens of the United States, and residents of Des Moines, in the county of Folk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Road-Surface Maintainer, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a road surface maintainer of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More particularly, it is our purpose to provide such a machine especially adapted for properly maintaining the proper surface of a highway by leveling the same with a maximum eificiency and with a minimum 'movement of dirt, gravel or the like and with a minimum draft.

lVith these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts of our device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a road surface maintainer embodying our invention.

Figure 2 shows a detail, sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a. perspective view of a portion of one end of the machine.

Figure 4E shows a top or plan view of one of the main blades or shoes.

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the .pattern from which the blade or shoe illustrated in Figure 4; is made.

Figure 6 shows a rear elevation of the blade or shoe shown in Figure 4..

Figure 7 shows a plan view of the rear end of the machine in a slightly modified form. I

Figure 8 shows a detail, sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 shows aseries of diagrammatic views A, B and G of surface maintainers having different forms of scraper shoes.

Figure 10 shows a side elevation of a slightly modified form of our invention.

Figure 11 shows diagrammatic views A and B, illustrating the operation of our device.

Figure 12 A and B shows plan views of Serial No. 477,707.

slightly different embodiments of our invention.

Figure 13 shows a top or plan view of our -maintainer operatively connected with a The maintaining of a road surface in volves several important requirements, as does the provision of a machine suitable for fulfilling all such requirements.

It is well-known that it is the custom on dirt or gravel roads, recognized by engineers, to provide a road with a raised or crowned central portion and with the sides sloping towards water ditches for drainage.

After the road has once been constructed, it is desirable to maintain substantially its originally completed condition. Natural wear, rain and wind tend to wash. and blow the road from the center or crown toward the sides and to wear away the raised central part. It is therefore necessary that the road be frequently dragged for the purpose of cutting off projections or humps and for filling ruts or depressions formed largely by the travel on the road while in the softened condition produced by a shower of rain, and also for dragging a certain amount of dirt or gravel toward the center or crown of the road for the purpose of maintaining the grade.

It is therefore desirable that a machine be provided, which will cut off the projections, fill in the depressions and move some of the dirt and gravel toward the center of the road, which machine will operate with a minimum draft and with a maximum efficiency for its purpose.

In order to secure a minimum draft, it is desirable that the dirt used to fill the depression should be moved as short a distance as possible. I

We have provided a machine, which we believe is adapted to fulfill all the above requirements.

In the ordinary types of dragging and road maintaining equipment, it is customary to use a long straight blade or series of long straight blades. that are arranged at an angle with the road and dragged along the road scraping oif the projections and pushing the loosened material into the ruts and low places and then ahead of the blades along the road, with a broad side.

This operation requires a large amount of power. With our machine, we cut off the projections with a shearing operation and with a minimum use of power.

Since the cutting members are relatively short and arranged at a relatively great angle with relationto the road, the dirt or the like is shed in a manner similar to that of the operation of a plow, instead of being shoved ahead of the machine in large quantities. I

Our machine consists of two series of shoes or scraper or drag elements, anmged in rows, spaced from each other fore-andaft, the shoes of the respective rows being staggered with relation to each other. Rear wardly from the two rows or series of shoes, we provide a drag or smoothing element.

I In the accompanying drawings, we have used the reference numerals 10 and 11 to indicate generally two transverse frame members spaced from each other fore-andaft of the machine, as shown for instance in Figure 1.

The draft rods 12- are secured to the forward transverse frame member 10 near the outer ends thereof with. a pivotal connection and converge forwardly toward each other and may be connected with a ring or the like 13 at their forward ends.

It may be mentioned that the frame member 10 is provided near each end with a series of holes 14: adapted to selectively bolt the members 15 on-the rear ends of the rods 12, for allowing some adjustment of the parts. The frame member 11 is slightly shorter than the frame member 10, as shown, its ends terminating short of the ends of the frame member 10.

Suitably supported on the frame members 10 and 11 are fore-and-aft frame members 16, 17 and 18. A suitable number of foreand-aft frame members may be provided to serve the purpose. As illustrated, I have shown three of said members, of which the member 18 is the shortest. The member 17 extends rearwardly'farther than the member 18 and the member 16- extends rearwardly farther than the member 17. so that the drag member, which is secured to the rear cnds of the members 16, 1'7 and 18 may be inclined from a line transversely of the machine.

The members 16 and 17 may be provided with holes 411 and 42to receive the bolts -31. so that the angle of the member 30 may be adjusted for working the proper amount of dirt or the like toward the center of the roadway to maintain the proper cross section of the highway.

Mounted on the underside of the transverse frame member 10 is a series: of spaced drag or cutter shoes 19. Each shoe 19 is preferably made from a blank, such as that shown in Figure 5.

It will be understood that while we consider the arrangement of the shoes in two series spaced from each other fore-and-aft and sta gered in their arrangement in the two series so as to cut over the entire road.- way important, we recognize that the shoes may be of different forms or shapes.

in Figure 9, view A shows an arrangement of short inclined cutting shoes, those mounted on the forward cross frame member being indicated at 10, being inclined in one direction, and those on the rear cross frame member 411 being inclined in the op posite direction. The shoes in view A are indicated by the reference character 42.

In view B of Figure 9, we have shown the cross frame members 43 and 4P1 having the curved cutting shoes 45 staggered fro-m front to rear as shown.

In view C, the cross frame members 4-6 and 4C7 have the short shoes 4.8 arranged tIZLIISXtlSEb to the road and parallel with he members 16 and 17 and staggered shown.

The great objectof the staggering of the cutting shoes is to throw the material in between the shoes in numerous places and to work it into the holes next the projections from which the material is cut, instead of carrying the material a long distance along the road or toward the center of the road.

Vi e prefer the form disclosed herein, in which the blank shown in Figure 5 and indicated by the reference character 20, has generally the form of a rectangle with its corners bevelled as at 21 at one sideand'with a central V-shaped notch 22 between the bevelled corners.

In completing the shoe 19. the edge thereof having the V-shaped notch and the bevelled corners 21 is folded over on the line 23 at right angles to the main body of the shoe, and the shoe is then bent along the central. transverse line 24. to the V-shape shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 6, we have shown the shoe 19 having the flanges 25 at its top and having the side walls 26 extending from the apex IOU at the forward part of the shoe rearwardly and diverging therefrom. The flanges have holes 27 to receive bolts or the like 28. whereby the shoes 19 are secured to the frame members 10 and 11.

The shoes are arranged in spaced series beneaththe respective'frame members 10 and 11, and the members of the rearward respective members 10. and 11 by means of bolts or the like 29.

The end drag or cutter members 28 are inclined from their forward ends rearwardly and are converging as shown in the drawing at about the same angle as the other shoes or cutters.

The object of these long side shoes or cutter members 28 is to feed the dirt from the shoulder of the road far enough inward ly for the drag member 30 to pick it up and spread it, without running it over into the main drainage ditch, which should be kept open.

On the shoulder of the road, next to the drainage ditch, it frequently occurs that grass and weeds grow, because travel is scarce on that part of the road, and does not keep the weeds and grass worn off. The dust and dirt from the central part of the road gathers in the grass and weeds, and is washed downwardly by water, so that sometimes a ridge is built up along the shoulder at the edge of the ditch, causing water to run down the road adjacent to the ridge instead of flowing over into the drainage ditch, and thus spoiling the road.

The drags now in use tend to ride over this ridge, because the grass and weeds are not properly scraped or cut off by the ordinary drags working nearly at right angles to the road. but our long end cutter member or shoe,- because of its great cutting angle, cuts and tears this ridge away somewhat like a plow and does not have nearly such a tendency to ride over the top of the ridge.

A loi'ig blade of the kind ordinarily used, if arranged at such an angle of the road, as to cut off the grassy ridge adjacent to the drainage ditch. would out too much material from the other parts of the rod and would cut ditchesin the road and spoil the cross section thereof.

lVith an ordinary long drag arranged at a considerable angle, a land side, such as that usually applied, would be necessary to prevent sliding and skidding of the drag and to hold it to the work.

Owing to the sharp points and the great cutting angle of our shoes, our road maintainer will do good work on roads which are so hard and dry that a long drag would simply ride over the projections.

W e provide at the rear ends of the members 16. 1.7 and 18 a relatively broad surfaced drag element, which may consist of a rearwardly opening channel bar 30, having its upper flange bolted by means of bolts 31 to the rear ends of the frame members 16,

17. and 18.

We provide braces for the rear drag member 30, comprising the upper horizontal members 32, having their forward ends mounted on the bolts 31 between the flange of the drag member30and the rear ends of the fore-and-aft frame members of the machine.

The members extending rearwardly from the bolts 31 and at the rear ends there-- of are downwardly and forwardly inclined brace portions 33, having at their lower ends, vertical extensions 34: bolted to the body of the channel bar drag member 30 at the lower portion thereof by means of bolts 3:"; shown in Figure 2.

lV here the roads have been gravelled, we sometimes substitute for the member 30 a pipe or tube 36, shown in Figure 8, and se cured to the fore-and-aft frame members by means of bolts 37. The tubular drag member 36 is also rigidly held in position by substantially ti-shaped braces 38, each having an end mounted on one of the bolts 37 and the other end inclined downwardly and secured. to the member 36 by means of screw bolts 39 or the like.

The drag member 30 may be mounted as shown in Figure 10, in which the fore-andaft members 16, 17 and 18 have their rear portions bent and inclined downwardly and forwardly, as at 49. An angle iron bracket 50 has one angle secured to the drag member 30 by means of bolts 51. The lower part of the brace 50 is connected with the extension 49 by means of a bolt 52.

The upper and rear portion of the bracket -50 has a series of holes 53 to selectively receive a bolt 54, so that by mounting said bolt in different holes 53, the drag member 30 may be arranged at a variety of different angles with relation to the ground. Thus the drag member 30 may be inclined from its lower edge upwardly and forwardly to allow it to travel more freely over the loose material without carrying so much of said material toward the central part of the road, or may be readily adjusted to carry more material toward the center pf the road.

In the practical use of a road surface maintainer of the kind herein described, it will be observed that we have provided the series of shoes 19, which form cutting members at theforward part of the machine, and have provided rearwa'rdly therefrom an inclined drag member.

A platform 40 may be mounted on the fore-and-aft frame members for the convenience of the driver.

The forward cuttingshoes with their ar rangement in two series and with the members of the respective series staggered with respect to the members of the other series is such that the projections in the road are shaved off or cut off, and the dirt is thus left in ridges, after the first series have travelled over the road. These ridges are levelled somewhat by the rear series of shoes 19, which also cut off any projections, which might be then between the projections operated on by the forward series.

It will be seen that any dirt cut off by the forward series will he slid laterally in both directions with relation to each shoe for filling up any holes in the paths of the members of the rear series. The rear series will fill up any holes that might have been in the paths of the forward series.

This operation of cutting off the projections and filling up the holes is accomplished with a minimum movement of the dirt moved into the holes or depressions. Some dirt, of course,'will be left in ridges after the passage of the twoseries of shoes 19 and this dirt is engaged by the inclined drag 30 and moved toward the center or crown of the road.

The member 30 finishes filling up the large ruts or holes that were not completely filled by the shoes 19.

By arranging the device with its two rows or series of cutters and its rearwardly spaced relatively broadsiirfaced drag prevents cutting into the road badly and effects the proper desirable levelling operation.

We find this arrangement much more effective for the purpose than the providing of a drag with one drag member inclined from side to side and having a cutting edge.

One cutting edged drag member will in some instances dig in, too deep and increase the depth of a low place in the road, rather than fill it in.

The shoes being arranged as they are make the front cutting edge nearly two feet from front to rear and as long as the width of the drag. This gives more of a planing effect than a narrow blade, because it has a similar operation as that of a broad flat surface, and none of the shoes will drop into the smaller ruts or cross ditches, as would a single narrow long blade.

We have found that by arranging the device, as here shown, the dirt is moved a minimum distance and therefore the draft of our surface maintaining machineis much less than with machines attempting to do the same work in which the drag element is extended entirely across the machine.

We also find that two series of cutter shoes with the members of the respective series staggered, as shown, is very effective in properly leveling depressions and projections in the road.

In Figure 11, we have shown in views A and B, somewhat diagrammatic illustrations of a cross section of a road 55, having a rut therein. It will be noted that at the sides of the rut, there will ordinarily be upward projections 57.

We have found with our machine that one of the shoes 19 will travel along the rut, but on account of the general arrangement of the machine, will not drop into the rut, and the tworear shoes spaced slightly lat erally from the forward shoe, which travels in the rut, will out 05 the projections- 57 our machine moves the dirt or road material a minimum distance for accomplishing the purpose. It also illustrates the fact that while many drags would fill in the rut from one side only, our surface maintainer is so constructed that the dirt is moved in both directions toward the rut or depression.

With one long blade, it will be seen that one of the projections 57 would be cut off and the material dragged into the rut 56, while the other of said projections would be cut and dragged a long distance toward the center of the road.

In Figure 12, views A and'B, we have showntwoslight modifications of our invention.

In Figure 12, view A, we have shown several of our maintainer sections, in which the longitudinally arranged frame members are of such length that the rear drag members 30 may be aligned with each other and hinged together as shown. 7

In viewB of said figure, we have shown several sections with the transverse members hinged together. It will be obvious that the transverse members are made of such length as to properly align the hinge points between respective sections.

In Figures 13 and 14, we have shown our improved road maintainer mounted on a wheel supported frame, consisting of two members 60 supported at their forward ends upon a truck or'the like 61 and diverging rearwardly and supported at their rear ends on an axle 62, on which are wheels 63.

On the frame members 601is mounted a seat 64.

Arranged forwardly from the seat 64 on the respective frame members 60 are upwardly extending supporting members 65, in which are mounted transverse aligned shafts 67. The adjacent ends of the shafts '67 are mounted in a bearing 68 supported on a cross frame member 69, which supports the seat 64.

Upon the shafts 67 are hand wheels 70. On each shaft 67 is -'a worm 71. Mounted in suitable bearings 72 on the respective frame members 60 are longitudinally arranged'sh'afts 7 3. On the rear end of each shaft 7 3 is a worm wheel 74 in mesh with one of the worms 71. V

At the forward end of each shaft 73 is a laterally extending arm 74 to which is pivoted adownwardlv extending link 7 5. The link 75 is pivoted at its lower end to one of the transverse frame members of the road surface maintaining machine. 1

It will be seen that by adjusting the hand wheels 70, the surface maintaining ma chine mayabe tilted atone side or the forward end thereof may be raised or lowered to cause it to carry more load and thus dig deeper into the ground or to cause it to ride more freely over the ground.

In Figure 14, views A, B and C, we have shown our surface maintaining machine mounted on the wheel supported frame, as illustrated.

In view A, we have shown a fairly level highway in which the shoes 19 will cut off the surface slightly, and the loose material shown at 76 will be dragged into the low spots and toward the center of the road.

In view B, we have shown a road with a ditch 7 7 therein so deep that the front end of the drag instead of cutting into the ditch is carried entirely across it, and loose material '76 is rolled into the ditch.

In view C, there is shown in a diagrammatic way, a road having a projection with the front and rear wheels of the supporting frame on the opposite sides thereof and with the front part of the surface maintainer cutting rather deeply into the projection.

In the actual use of our machine, the forward ends of one of the members 28 may project clear over the edge of the water ditch, so that the road may be made smooth from the water ditch toward the center.

The rear member 30 completes the smoothing of the ridges and the filling of bad ruts and the crowning of the road.

With a drag of this kind, it will be seen that we'secure all the benefits of a cutter edged drag and of a heavy drag without the disadvantage of a device, which will dig into the lower places of a road, and without the necessity for using great weight.

The cutter shoes cut off the dirt with a minimum draft and the member 30 or 86, as the case may be, completes the smoothing and leveling of the road.

We have found that with the shoes 19 we get a very eflicient cutting of weeds and grass in the road, which is difficult to otherwise secure.

l/Ve recognize, as before stated, that the forms of the shoes 19 may be varied considerably, but we consider their staggered relation and their arrangement in two series to be important, and we also consider the mounting of said series on a frame spaced forwardly from the rear drag member to be important for securing the desired results.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of our improved surface maintainer, without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims,

any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

l/Ve claim as our invention:

1. In a road surface maintainer, a pair of rigid members spaced from each other foreand-aft in the device, ii-shaped drag shoes secured to said members, the shoes being staggered on the respective members, each shoe comprising a single sheet of metal folded to a V-shape and having its upper edge folded over horizontally with a notch provided at its forward portion so that the edges of the horizontal portions fit together.

2. In a road surface maintainer, a pair of fore-and-aft spaced members rigidly connected together, plurality of scraper shoes on each member, the shoes of the respective members being staggered with relation to each other, frame members extending rearwardly from said first member, a drag member mounted at the rear end of said last-described frame members and inclined across the path of travel of the machine, a supporting device comprising a truck spaced substantially forwardly from said first described members, truck frame members pivoted to said truck and extending rearwardly therefrom, a wheel supported axle at the rear ends of said truck frame members, aligned shafts supported on said truck frame members, hand wheels on said shafts, means for operatively connecting the respective shafts with said first described frame members near their opposite ends, whereby said first shafts may be operated, for raising or lowering the opposite ends of said first described frame members, the parts being so arranged that at all times the dragging surfaces of the device are substantially in the same plane.

3. In a road surface maintainer, a pair of foreand-aft spaced members rigidly connected together, a plurality of scraper shoes on each member, the shoes of the respective members being staggered with relation to each other, frame members extending rearwardly from said first member, a drag mem ber mounted at the rear end of said last-described frame members and inclined across the path of travel of the machine, a frame mounted on wheels, means for supporting said road maintaining structure on said frame with the scraping and dragging blades in substantially the same plane, and means mounted on said frame for adjusting the position of said road maintaining device.

Des Moines, Iowa, June 7, 1921.

EMIL BERN. WALTER G. WERTS. 

